May 27, 2026 • 30 mins
STIs are common, treatable, and nothing to be ashamed of. In this episode, Hari and Dr. Priyanka break down chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, how they spread, why many people don’t have symptoms, and how at-home testing is changing sexual health. They also talk openly about stigma, partner communication, and why getting tested is a normal part of caring for yourself and others.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This podcast is for information purposes only and should not
be considered professional medical advice. Sgis aren't a moral failure.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Your you know, testicles will shrivel up and fall off.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
The best part about dating a doctor is that if
I give you an STD, I'll cure you of it too.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
I'm hurry, condibolu, I'm doctor pre uncle Wally, And this
is health stuff.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Do you remember that song Let's talk about sex, Babe,
Salt and Pepa underappreciated Salt and Peppa. That that is
literally the song that has been running through my head
as we prepare for this episode.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, this is a big one.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Did your parents ever give you the sex talk growing up? No? Yeah,
same here, No way.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
My mother told me about sperm and eggs and how
the sperm would have to like inseminate the egg, but
not how that process began, like the actual entrance of
the sperm was never discussed. But once it's in there,
that part we got to.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
That's hilarious. I actually remember when my mom because I
remember asking your where how do babies happen? And she
was like, well, someone like your father. They give you
a special bottle and in the bottle are these special
things that make the babies what? And I was like, oh, interesting, Okay,
(01:39):
she was trying to get very like metaphoric.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, but oh man, so awkward.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Have you thought through, like with your son, how you're
going to talk to him about safe sex practices and stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I mean, I don't know how many years its way.
I was about to say a decade away, and I'm like,
I don't even think it's that much anymore. I think
because kids are learning about it at much earlier ages. Yeah,
I'm not sure how I'm going to talk to him
about it. I mean that it's it's obviously a conversation
that that's going to come up sooner than later, just
because we live in a culture where sex is everywhere.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, it's ubiquitous.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, yes, so it's definitely a topic that's going to
come out. I just don't know how to talk about
it yet, or maybe I don't. I haven't thought about
it because I'm afraid.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Well, I remember, like in school, the way they would
teach us about safe sex was really through fear. Yes,
you know, I remember sitting in this auditorium and they
would be like, yeah, if you have sex, like you'll
get an STD and like this is what's going to
happen to your genitals. And I remember they would show
(02:44):
us those images, these photos of people. In my medical career,
I've never seen cases that severe. Like I remember they
showed me like a photo it was so like graphic
and you know, it was just like the STD looked
like some giant cauliflower on someone's genitals, and I remember
(03:06):
it just sealed in my brain. Flash forward, I go
to med school. I never saw a case like that ever.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I mean, it's fair to assume that the cases of
the images they were showing are people who did not
get treated.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Right right like end stage.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yes, like I've just let this go for way too
long decades that I'm now in medical textbooks.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
I mean, it definitely works. I mean, it was definitely like,
you know, careful, but.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
But it's I mean, it's a.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Very fear based thing.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Well it's weird because I feel like there was such
a stigmatization from my parents already regarding sex, and then
you go to school and there's a further stigmatization. But
it looks different obviously, but it's still like don't do it.
This is what's going to happen. Either someone's going to
get pregnant, you're going to have to be a teenage
(03:56):
parent or you're going to get this thing and you're
you know, testicles will shrivel up and follow off. Yes,
that's it, something wild like that.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
You know. What's what's crazy is that right now, one
in five people in the United States has a sexually
transmitted infection, but not everyone knows that they do. And
there's been a lot of updates now in terms of
getting treated. The goal here is to definitely destigmatize yeah,
and really kind of give people tips and tricks for
(04:29):
how to navigate safe sex. So, more than two point
two million cases of chlamydia and gone rhea were diagnosed
and reported in the United States in twenty twenty three alone,
and there's an estimate that trickamaniasis is the most prevalent
(04:50):
non viral sexually transmitted infection worldwide. In the US alone,
it affects two point six million people.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Now, this is embarrassing to admit, but I didn't know
what trickmaniasis was until we started researching this this episode.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
And I'm sure there's a lot of people like that,
And that's why we're going to talk about trick and manias.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Did they test for it.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Oh yeah, big time. So that all three of these
diseases that we just mentioned chlamydia, goneria, tricamaniasis, they can
be treated really easily with antibiotics, but that you want
to treat them because if you don't treat them, there
can be some pretty serious health complications, including affecting fertility.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
So these are all bacterial then, correct.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, So today we're going to look at these three
very common, easily treatable STDs and then we'll talk a
little bit about how you can actually test for them
now at home, which I'm very happy about. I suppose
STI is a more because it's an infection, so we
can use STI for the rest of the episode.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Okay, So, like, so STIs is like you have the infection,
SDD is like there's a progression of the disease in
the body.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah. Like HIV AIDS would be an example of an
std A disease, right right, it's more chronic, whereas an
infection is potentially reversible with treatment like antibiotics.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
So HIV would be the infection and AIDS is the disease. Correct, Yeah, gotcha. Now, worldwide,
there's more than three hundred and seventy million new cases
of chlamydia, ganarrhea, and triggermaniasis that occur annually among adults
ages fifteen to forty nine and a cross genders. According
to the who would you know these infections if you
(06:37):
had one? Here's how they break down.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
There can be a lot of people that have chlamydia
and they don't have symptoms, Like eighty eight percent of
men have chlamydia without symptoms, sixty eight percent of women
have chlamydia without symptoms, and so there's an estimated one
hundred and twenty eight point five million new cases around
the world. So this is also just you know, benefit
(07:01):
of getting tested.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Gonnerrihea is a highly common bacterial sti, with more than
seven hundred thousand estimated new infections annually in the US.
The CDC estimates that less than half of the seven
hundred thousand annual infections in the US are reported, which
obviously is probably due to stigma, people being afraid to
tell partners, people afraid to talk to their medical providers.
(07:25):
The impact of untreated gonorrhea can lead to serious reproductive
health issues, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Yeah, so, gonerehea is also one of the ones that like,
obviously you want to treat for all of these, but
goneri specifically can affect fertility, so you want to take
that really seriously and treat it as soon as possible.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Does do either gonerrhea or or chlamydia affect one's gender
more than another, That's a.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Really good question. I do think the complications of chlamydia
and gonerrhea impact women more because if the uterus gets affected,
then it can spread to the ovaries, it can spread
to other parts. So I think there's more anatomy there
that could potentially get impacted by this. And then so
(08:20):
trickamaniasis is different than gonerhea and chlamydia because trickamaniasis is
caused by a parasite, Trickamonus vaginalis, and it's the most
prevalent STI worldwide that's not from a virus. Six point
nine million new cases occur annually in the US. Two
(08:43):
point one million infections are in women, less than half
a million are in men. But here's the thing, Like,
only thirty percent of people who are infected with trickamaniasis
develop any symptoms, So again the importance of getting tested.
We're going to take a short break, stay with us.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
What do these STIs have in common? A bunch of stuff.
These infections spread through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex,
and your risk increases with each new sexual partner. Some
sdis don't cause symptoms. We just discussed that, Like, they're
barely noticeable, so many infected people don't know if they
need treatment. Common symptoms when they do appear include unusual discharge, sores,
(09:32):
or pain during urination or during sex.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Yeah, and again, even if you don't have symptoms, Number one,
these STIs can affect your health and then you can
spread it to others. And again the serious things are
things like pelvic inflammatory disease, but they can even be
associated with cancers and infertility and even increase your risk
(09:55):
of HIV. In terms of racial equity, all three of
these STIs disproportionately affect Black communities more than white populations,
and especially Black women over the age of twenty four.
And the data behind that is correlated with access to
(10:15):
healthcare and getting tested, and so there is a disproportionate
access issue which is adversely affecting Black communities.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
So it would be access to information, access to medical facilities.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
And I would also add like trust in the medical system.
I mean we know historically with like Tuskegee experiments and whatnot,
like there is distrust. So you know, there's many, many
structural issues in place that are leading to these disparities
and outcomes.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
So what if you do test positive? Anyone who tests
positive for an SDI should connect with a healthcare provider
as soon as possible. Getting tested is not the same
as being treated.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yeah, I remember I back when I was doing stand
up comedy, I would tell this joke on stage. The
best part about dating a doctor is that if I
give you an STD I'll cure you of it too.
So yeah, if you get an STI number one, you
got to get treated right away. But here's the really
(11:19):
important part that not everyone does. You have to call
everyone you've been with. Yeah, you have to tell them
that they need to get tested. Do it. This is
the right thing. Do not do this part.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Remember during COVID, they had to track down all the
people that you were around when you had COVID, And
it's the same idea, Like you're basically trying to track
it down so you can get people treatment or get
them tested and eliminate the spread.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Yeah, yeah, it's also just the kind humane thing to do.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yes. Yes.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So here's the thing though, because a lot of people
they might not want to go get tested, especially let's
say you're younger. Let's say you live with your parents.
You know you can't just be like mom, take me
to the SDD clinic to get tested, right, So now
you can do these things in the privacy of your
own home. There are actually test kits that people can use,
(12:17):
and this is great news. If you're living out in
the middle of a rural area, you don't have a
clinic near you, you basically get these kits sent your
home and then depending on what they need to swab,
they might you swab your genitals on your own, or
maybe your mouth, or maybe you give off a urine
and then you send it to the lab and then
(12:39):
they'll either give you the results online or in the mail.
It could take a while. But now they have newer
tests that the FDA just approved, where especially these big
three STIs that we've talked about Gonnery and Clymythy and Trickamaniasis,
women can actually do the SDD test at home and
then they can get the results on their app without
(13:01):
needing to send anything to the lab, which is really
really cool.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
There's a FDA proof kit for women called the Visby
Medical Women's Sexual Health Test. It's by Visby Medical. The
at home single use diagnostic test for Chlamydia, gnnerrhea, and
Trigaminisis can be purchased without a prescription and performed entirely
at home in thirty minutes.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Yeah, so this is for people with female anatomy parts
and whether you have symptoms or not, and you do
a swab, a vaginal swab, it has a pretty high
sensitivity rate ninety seven percent. The test correctly identifies over
ninety seven percent of negative and positive samples of chlamydia, goneria,
(13:50):
and trichomoniasis. And then what's cool is that if you
test positive through the app, they'll connect you with a
health provider through their telehealth serve.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
To just underscore how convenient Their new test is Visbye
Medical paired up with door Dash. It available for same
day delivery in several major cities including Las Vegas, Atlanta,
New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
So think about it. You could like get your Panda
Express and then get your STD tests and get your
lunch and your health screening done.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
At the same time, same time.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Now, in addition to this Visbye Medical Women's at home test,
there's a couple of other tests that are on the
market right now. One is from Let's Get Checked. It's
called the Let's Get Checked Simple to test. This is
an at home test for goneria and chlamydia. There's the
AURA Quick in Home HIV test, which we'll test for
(14:48):
HIV antibodies. And then there's the simply Collect STI test,
which is fdapproved for chlamydia, goneria, trickamaniasis, and micael plasma.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
What is my poplasma?
Speaker 1 (15:01):
It's another kind of std God, there's so many, there's many. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
No, Why should STI kits be FDA approved? You ask, Well,
it's important to use a test that's approved because the
approval process and shures that the test kits are accurate, reliable,
and safe, reducing risks of false negatives that delay treatment
or false positives that cause unnecessary treatment. In addition to,
(15:26):
you know, if you get a false negative, you know
you might be spreading this infection further.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Yeah, this is really really important. You definitely don't want
to get any kits that are not FDA approved because
it doesn't mean that they won't work, but like, you
just can't guarantee that you're getting something accurate, and when
it comes to SDi's like you don't want to risk that.
I remember on social media I saw something about this
(15:54):
company that was selling fake STI tests. So you basically
you pay this company and they'll give you a document
with your name on it and it shows that you
got tested and you can then choose whether you want
to be positive or negative. And this company was like, oh,
(16:14):
this is just for entertainment purposes, but what was happening
is that like people were actually using them to like
show potential people like that they wanted to sleep with,
like yeah, I'm free, I'm STI free, but like they
didn't even get tested at all.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
And you could tell that it was a fake report
because at the bottom it would say in very very
tiny print like for entertainment purposes only.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
What is entertaining about this? Who is it entertaining?
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Definitely not my my yeah, not my kind of entertainment.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So it was interesting because the yeah, the the social
media post it was it was a sex care worker
who was on a dating app and she was trying
to decide if she wanted to hook up with someone
she had matched with, and she asked them if they
could get tested before they met, and he's like, oh no, no,
(17:15):
I'm not doing that, and she's like, okay, bye, and
then he's like, actually, wait a minute, and then he
sends her this report that looked legitimate, but she was like,
he gave this to me within less than a twenty
four hour turnaround, and you know it takes more than
twenty four hours to get tested, right, And so she
got suspicious and she started looking at it and it
(17:36):
turns out it was from like fakesti test dot com.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Oh my god, right, that should be that should be illegal,
that should not be allowed.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Well, if it so, this website I think doesn't do
this for HIV because there are state laws that you
actually can't You can't lie about diseases like HIV. But
I don't think you should be able to do that
for any sti's like Committee or Goneria or any of that.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
No, for entertainment purposes, entertainment, why would you do that
to be.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I think there a lot of people still hesitate to
get tested, even though STI testing is so available. It
might not be convenient, but you know, some people think, oh,
like it's not going to affect me, I'm not risky,
or maybe it's they don't have access to healthcare facilities,
or they might just feel straight up uncomfortable.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
I mean, it's not always a comfortable question that I've
I've had gone to my doctors like can I get
SDD testing, and it's it's always fine, But there's always
that moment of hesitation, like man, this is really personal,
and then you have to remember, yeah, you're at the
doctor's office, like, yeah, this is this is If there
was anyone to tell it, should be a doctor.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Oh absolutely. Like I think if someone ever asked me
to be tested, I'm like really happy that they're taking
the initiative and they're going going out of their way
to be safe. I think it's really unfair to label
people with STIs as you know, all of the unfair
(19:16):
labels like they're you know, promiscuous or you know, they're
slutty or all of those. I just don't I don't
think that's right at all, you know, I mean, STIs
aren't a moral failure. It happens like they're common. It
affects a large portion of the population, and what we
got to do is not judge people. We just got
to help them get treated and not spreaded.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
It's an infection just like any other infection, that's Yeah.
Young people are especially impacted. They feel uncomfortable talking to
healthcare providers about testing. They worry their parents will find
out they're having sex, you know, which is part of
the reason why fifteen to twenty four year olds make
up half of all reported infections in twenty twenty three.
(19:59):
Young adults to make up a large share of new infections.
But luckily, at home testing options can feel safer and
more appealing because you can actually have your privacy if
you feel like you're risking it by going to see
a healthcare provider.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Yeah, exactly. I mean I think you're naming it correctly.
Like it's the stigma sometimes that can prevent people from
getting tested, diagnosed, and treated, or like the fear of judgment,
and you know, people they could hide their status from
their partners, which you don't want to do because then
(20:33):
you're going to increase the risk of transmission. And we
don't want to contribute to the stigma, which then can
lead to all these other mental health issues. This is
a common health issue and we need to just like
avoid the shame based messaging.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I mean, these you know, infections have been around forever. Yeah,
and that's part of why this there is such a stigma,
is because it's this thing that has been hush hush
and for so many years and has had these stigmas
and people's assumptions based on if you have it, what
kind of person you are for so many years. So
it's time that we combat it.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And you know, like I think it's
a great thing to make at home testing as easy
as routine as doing a COVID test or a flu
test at home, or heck, doing a pregnancy test at home.
There's many public health reasons to push for at home
STI testing. A lot of public health officials are talking
(21:34):
about how like many staff are overwork, they can't handle
the increasing need for testing, and so putting the testing
back at home is not only going to kind of
make it easier on these overworked clinics, but also from
a diagnostic company standpoint, I mean, there is this unmet demand,
(21:56):
so there is sort of like a business opportunity here,
and you're removing the barriers to getting people the information
that they need.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
More to come on health stuff.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
So here's the thing. You know, by doing these at
home kits, basically this allows states to establish new programs
to improve health screening and prevention. Certain states like Alaska, Alabama,
North Carolina, Maryland, for instance, they've all started mailing free
(22:35):
std test kits to their residents.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
That's surprising who who is on the list and who
is not on the list, because it's definitely it's a resource,
and it will cost money to mail them out. But
you know, that's impressive that those states are doing that.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Yeah. Yeah, Now, a lot of these kits are not
currently covered under health insurance, So if you're not living
in one of those states where they're giving out free
at home test kits, you can use if you have
an HSA or an FSA option. You know, most of
these at home test kits they run a little pricey,
(23:14):
Like the average cost is about one hundred and fifty
dollars in the United States. There are some cheaper kits available,
but they're not FDA proved.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
I think this is one of those things if you're
fortunate enough to have the money for it is worth
doing and worth getting that FDA proofed kit.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Yes, yes, the other thing like let's say you live
at home, and for these test kits, you need to
have an address so that they could send the kit to.
That might also be like an area of concern because
you don't want to be intercepted, maybe by a parent.
And then also getting results for these like you probably
(23:55):
need access to an app or a smartphone or some
sort of device because they usually post the results online.
So it's not it's not perfect in every every scenario,
but I think it's certainly going to be helpful in
quite a few. And the other thing I would say
is like, let's say you do the at home test
(24:15):
kit and you don't have health insurance. Let's say you
pay like cash, and now you need to find a
doctor to prescribe you antibiotics for whatever positive result. There
are some websites like teledoc, for example, you can pay
them cash like ninety dollars and then just tell them
(24:39):
you did an at home test kit for whatever test
and you're positive, and then they can call in antibiotics
through that. So the overall cost, like if you pay
one hundred and fifty dollars for an at home test
kit and then teledoc another ninety dollars you're talking. You know, basically,
let's say a little bit around two hundred and fifty
(24:59):
do to do the whole thing, which if you live
out in the middle of nowhere and there's no clinics
around like that, you know, that's not terrible, but it's
not cheap either.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Let's talk about prevention. I think most people probably know
the best prevention is the use of condoms. Yes, yes,
whether latex or polyurethane. Use condoms for every sexual encounter.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Yes. Now, look, I have counseled so many people about
sexual help, Like I've heard all the stories, you know,
I've told people to use condoms, and I've seen their reactions.
If you're one of those people that you're going to
roll your eyes when when you hear us recommending condoms. This,
this next message is for you. Crown Condoms is the
(25:44):
number one condom used in the porn industry. It's very
very thin. This is probably one of the better condoms
to practice safe sex. This is actually really important because
many patients of the years have told me, like I
hate using condoms, and this is for you. Use the Crown.
It's called the Crown brand and it's the number one
(26:06):
condom used in the porn industry. It has a distinctive
pink tinge in color. And the feedback that I've gotten
over the years from patients is that like, oh, yeah,
this is great. So that is one plug for condoms.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
We're not getting sponsored by the way.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Of well, we are not getting sponsored by.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
We're not opposed again.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Yes, but condoms are really really effective in reducing transmission
risks for all three of these infections.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
So think of crowns. But there's more sexual health than condoms.
Regular screenings like we talked about for STIs, annually or
when you change partners really important because again, not all
sdis will show symptoms.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Yes, I think one of the most romantic things that
a person can do when they start a new partnership
is going to get STD tested together. It's really important
because communicating with your partner really reduces your risk because
you're ensuring that your partner isn't infected. And to be honest,
if you don't feel comfortable talking to your partner about STIs,
(27:16):
you probably aren't ready to have sex with them.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
So this is like a good kind of rite of
passage in a relationship that taking a moment to talk
about safe sex. That is also a sign that if
you have the courage to do that conversation, it probably
then means that you're also ready to have sex with them.
But if you can't have that conversation, that is in
(27:40):
and of itself a blocker to probably moving forward in
the relationship itself.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Now, if you do test positive for an STI, it's
important to finish your treatment, take the full course of medication,
and abstain from sex until both you and your partner
are fully treated and cleared. Infections can easily pass back
and forth.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
This is so critical. You must take the antibiotics for
the full treatment. And if you get specific instructions, like
sometimes you get put on antibiotics and you're told, like,
do not drink alcohol while you're on these antibiotics, follow
those instructions very carefully. There's a reason that those instructions exist.
(28:18):
Good hygiene is also really key, and you know, if
you're using sex toys and you do have an std
you've got to make sure you clean your sex toys
between each use.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Think about reinfection prevention. Anyone diagnosed with chlamydia, gunorrhea, or
trichaminiasis should be retested approximately three months after treatment to
check for reinfection, which is common. Yeah. Yeah, now that
reinfection comes because you didn't finish a treatment or how
does that reinfection?
Speaker 1 (28:47):
You could just have a severe case and it wasn't
properly cleared, okay, or maybe between now and getting retested,
you got reinfected because the partner wasn't successfully cleared. There
could be a multitude of reasons. So we hope the
reason we wanted to do this episode is because the
fd has approved these at home tests for chlamydia gonorrhea
(29:09):
and a great way to kind of get tested and
keep yourself safe.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Now, if you're unsure about a test KITS legitimacy, you
can use the CDCs Get Tested to to find a
nearby official testing center for reliable in person testing.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Yeah, and you know, obviously visiting a clinic is probably
the best choice, but you know, if you have access
issues or privacy concerns, these at home tests could be
a good option for you.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Now, I'm going to wrap up this podcast by telling
you to wrap it up. Yes, wrap it up, wrap
it up. Yes, condoms. This is it's crucial, and that's
part of adulthood and the responsibility of sex is looking
after yourself and others.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Yes, and you will. You will thank yourself for taking
the initiative and keeping yourself safer when it comes to sex.
Health Stuff is a production of iHeart Podcasts. The show
is hosted by Me, doctor Prianco Wally, and Harikonnebolu. Producers
(30:15):
are Rebecca Eisenberg, Jenna Cagel, Christina Loranger, Maya Howard, and
Katrina Norvel. Our researcher is Maria Tremarki and our intern
is Katya sobel Leayala. To send us a question, you
can email us a voice memo at health Stuff podcast
at gmail dot com. Thanks so much for listening.
This podcast is for information purposes only and should not
be considered professional medical advice. Sgis aren't a moral failure.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Your you know, testicles will shrivel up and fall off.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
The best part about dating a doctor is that if
I give you an STD, I'll cure you of it too.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
I'm hurry, condibolu, I'm doctor pre uncle Wally, And this
is health stuff.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Do you remember that song Let's talk about sex, Babe,
Salt and Pepa underappreciated Salt and Peppa. That that is
literally the song that has been running through my head
as we prepare for this episode.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, this is a big one.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Did your parents ever give you the sex talk growing up? No? Yeah,
same here, No way.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
My mother told me about sperm and eggs and how
the sperm would have to like inseminate the egg, but
not how that process began, like the actual entrance of
the sperm was never discussed. But once it's in there,
that part we got to.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
That's hilarious. I actually remember when my mom because I
remember asking your where how do babies happen? And she
was like, well, someone like your father. They give you
a special bottle and in the bottle are these special
things that make the babies what? And I was like, oh, interesting, Okay,
(01:39):
she was trying to get very like metaphoric.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, but oh man, so awkward.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Have you thought through, like with your son, how you're
going to talk to him about safe sex practices and stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I mean, I don't know how many years its way.
I was about to say a decade away, and I'm like,
I don't even think it's that much anymore. I think
because kids are learning about it at much earlier ages. Yeah,
I'm not sure how I'm going to talk to him
about it. I mean that it's it's obviously a conversation
that that's going to come up sooner than later, just
because we live in a culture where sex is everywhere.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, it's ubiquitous.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, yes, so it's definitely a topic that's going to
come out. I just don't know how to talk about
it yet, or maybe I don't. I haven't thought about
it because I'm afraid.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Well, I remember, like in school, the way they would
teach us about safe sex was really through fear. Yes,
you know, I remember sitting in this auditorium and they
would be like, yeah, if you have sex, like you'll
get an STD and like this is what's going to
happen to your genitals. And I remember they would show
(02:44):
us those images, these photos of people. In my medical career,
I've never seen cases that severe. Like I remember they
showed me like a photo it was so like graphic
and you know, it was just like the STD looked
like some giant cauliflower on someone's genitals, and I remember
(03:06):
it just sealed in my brain. Flash forward, I go
to med school. I never saw a case like that ever.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I mean, it's fair to assume that the cases of
the images they were showing are people who did not
get treated.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Right right like end stage.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yes, like I've just let this go for way too
long decades that I'm now in medical textbooks.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
I mean, it definitely works. I mean, it was definitely like,
you know, careful, but.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
But it's I mean, it's a.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Very fear based thing.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Well it's weird because I feel like there was such
a stigmatization from my parents already regarding sex, and then
you go to school and there's a further stigmatization. But
it looks different obviously, but it's still like don't do it.
This is what's going to happen. Either someone's going to
get pregnant, you're going to have to be a teenage
(03:56):
parent or you're going to get this thing and you're
you know, testicles will shrivel up and follow off. Yes,
that's it, something wild like that.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
You know. What's what's crazy is that right now, one
in five people in the United States has a sexually
transmitted infection, but not everyone knows that they do. And
there's been a lot of updates now in terms of
getting treated. The goal here is to definitely destigmatize yeah,
and really kind of give people tips and tricks for
(04:29):
how to navigate safe sex. So, more than two point
two million cases of chlamydia and gone rhea were diagnosed
and reported in the United States in twenty twenty three alone,
and there's an estimate that trickamaniasis is the most prevalent
(04:50):
non viral sexually transmitted infection worldwide. In the US alone,
it affects two point six million people.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Now, this is embarrassing to admit, but I didn't know
what trickmaniasis was until we started researching this this episode.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
And I'm sure there's a lot of people like that,
And that's why we're going to talk about trick and manias.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Did they test for it.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Oh yeah, big time. So that all three of these
diseases that we just mentioned chlamydia, goneria, tricamaniasis, they can
be treated really easily with antibiotics, but that you want
to treat them because if you don't treat them, there
can be some pretty serious health complications, including affecting fertility.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
So these are all bacterial then, correct.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, So today we're going to look at these three
very common, easily treatable STDs and then we'll talk a
little bit about how you can actually test for them
now at home, which I'm very happy about. I suppose
STI is a more because it's an infection, so we
can use STI for the rest of the episode.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Okay, So, like, so STIs is like you have the infection,
SDD is like there's a progression of the disease in
the body.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah. Like HIV AIDS would be an example of an
std A disease, right right, it's more chronic, whereas an
infection is potentially reversible with treatment like antibiotics.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
So HIV would be the infection and AIDS is the disease. Correct, Yeah, gotcha. Now, worldwide,
there's more than three hundred and seventy million new cases
of chlamydia, ganarrhea, and triggermaniasis that occur annually among adults
ages fifteen to forty nine and a cross genders. According
to the who would you know these infections if you
(06:37):
had one? Here's how they break down.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
There can be a lot of people that have chlamydia
and they don't have symptoms, Like eighty eight percent of
men have chlamydia without symptoms, sixty eight percent of women
have chlamydia without symptoms, and so there's an estimated one
hundred and twenty eight point five million new cases around
the world. So this is also just you know, benefit
(07:01):
of getting tested.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Gonnerrihea is a highly common bacterial sti, with more than
seven hundred thousand estimated new infections annually in the US.
The CDC estimates that less than half of the seven
hundred thousand annual infections in the US are reported, which
obviously is probably due to stigma, people being afraid to
tell partners, people afraid to talk to their medical providers.
(07:25):
The impact of untreated gonorrhea can lead to serious reproductive
health issues, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Yeah, so, gonerehea is also one of the ones that like,
obviously you want to treat for all of these, but
goneri specifically can affect fertility, so you want to take
that really seriously and treat it as soon as possible.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Does do either gonerrhea or or chlamydia affect one's gender
more than another, That's a.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Really good question. I do think the complications of chlamydia
and gonerrhea impact women more because if the uterus gets affected,
then it can spread to the ovaries, it can spread
to other parts. So I think there's more anatomy there
that could potentially get impacted by this. And then so
(08:20):
trickamaniasis is different than gonerhea and chlamydia because trickamaniasis is
caused by a parasite, Trickamonus vaginalis, and it's the most
prevalent STI worldwide that's not from a virus. Six point
nine million new cases occur annually in the US. Two
(08:43):
point one million infections are in women, less than half
a million are in men. But here's the thing, Like,
only thirty percent of people who are infected with trickamaniasis
develop any symptoms, So again the importance of getting tested.
We're going to take a short break, stay with us.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
What do these STIs have in common? A bunch of stuff.
These infections spread through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex,
and your risk increases with each new sexual partner. Some
sdis don't cause symptoms. We just discussed that, Like, they're
barely noticeable, so many infected people don't know if they
need treatment. Common symptoms when they do appear include unusual discharge, sores,
(09:32):
or pain during urination or during sex.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Yeah, and again, even if you don't have symptoms, Number one,
these STIs can affect your health and then you can
spread it to others. And again the serious things are
things like pelvic inflammatory disease, but they can even be
associated with cancers and infertility and even increase your risk
(09:55):
of HIV. In terms of racial equity, all three of
these STIs disproportionately affect Black communities more than white populations,
and especially Black women over the age of twenty four.
And the data behind that is correlated with access to
(10:15):
healthcare and getting tested, and so there is a disproportionate
access issue which is adversely affecting Black communities.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
So it would be access to information, access to medical facilities.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
And I would also add like trust in the medical system.
I mean we know historically with like Tuskegee experiments and whatnot,
like there is distrust. So you know, there's many, many
structural issues in place that are leading to these disparities
and outcomes.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
So what if you do test positive? Anyone who tests
positive for an SDI should connect with a healthcare provider
as soon as possible. Getting tested is not the same
as being treated.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yeah, I remember I back when I was doing stand
up comedy, I would tell this joke on stage. The
best part about dating a doctor is that if I
give you an STD I'll cure you of it too.
So yeah, if you get an STI number one, you
got to get treated right away. But here's the really
(11:19):
important part that not everyone does. You have to call
everyone you've been with. Yeah, you have to tell them
that they need to get tested. Do it. This is
the right thing. Do not do this part.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Remember during COVID, they had to track down all the
people that you were around when you had COVID, And
it's the same idea, Like you're basically trying to track
it down so you can get people treatment or get
them tested and eliminate the spread.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Yeah, yeah, it's also just the kind humane thing to do.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yes. Yes.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So here's the thing though, because a lot of people
they might not want to go get tested, especially let's
say you're younger. Let's say you live with your parents.
You know you can't just be like mom, take me
to the SDD clinic to get tested, right, So now
you can do these things in the privacy of your
own home. There are actually test kits that people can use,
(12:17):
and this is great news. If you're living out in
the middle of a rural area, you don't have a
clinic near you, you basically get these kits sent your
home and then depending on what they need to swab,
they might you swab your genitals on your own, or
maybe your mouth, or maybe you give off a urine
and then you send it to the lab and then
(12:39):
they'll either give you the results online or in the mail.
It could take a while. But now they have newer
tests that the FDA just approved, where especially these big
three STIs that we've talked about Gonnery and Clymythy and Trickamaniasis,
women can actually do the SDD test at home and
then they can get the results on their app without
(13:01):
needing to send anything to the lab, which is really
really cool.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
There's a FDA proof kit for women called the Visby
Medical Women's Sexual Health Test. It's by Visby Medical. The
at home single use diagnostic test for Chlamydia, gnnerrhea, and
Trigaminisis can be purchased without a prescription and performed entirely
at home in thirty minutes.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Yeah, so this is for people with female anatomy parts
and whether you have symptoms or not, and you do
a swab, a vaginal swab, it has a pretty high
sensitivity rate ninety seven percent. The test correctly identifies over
ninety seven percent of negative and positive samples of chlamydia, goneria,
(13:50):
and trichomoniasis. And then what's cool is that if you
test positive through the app, they'll connect you with a
health provider through their telehealth serve.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
To just underscore how convenient Their new test is Visbye
Medical paired up with door Dash. It available for same
day delivery in several major cities including Las Vegas, Atlanta,
New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
So think about it. You could like get your Panda
Express and then get your STD tests and get your
lunch and your health screening done.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
At the same time, same time.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Now, in addition to this Visbye Medical Women's at home test,
there's a couple of other tests that are on the
market right now. One is from Let's Get Checked. It's
called the Let's Get Checked Simple to test. This is
an at home test for goneria and chlamydia. There's the
AURA Quick in Home HIV test, which we'll test for
(14:48):
HIV antibodies. And then there's the simply Collect STI test,
which is fdapproved for chlamydia, goneria, trickamaniasis, and micael plasma.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
What is my poplasma?
Speaker 1 (15:01):
It's another kind of std God, there's so many, there's many. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
No, Why should STI kits be FDA approved? You ask, Well,
it's important to use a test that's approved because the
approval process and shures that the test kits are accurate, reliable,
and safe, reducing risks of false negatives that delay treatment
or false positives that cause unnecessary treatment. In addition to,
(15:26):
you know, if you get a false negative, you know
you might be spreading this infection further.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Yeah, this is really really important. You definitely don't want
to get any kits that are not FDA approved because
it doesn't mean that they won't work, but like, you
just can't guarantee that you're getting something accurate, and when
it comes to SDi's like you don't want to risk that.
I remember on social media I saw something about this
(15:54):
company that was selling fake STI tests. So you basically
you pay this company and they'll give you a document
with your name on it and it shows that you
got tested and you can then choose whether you want
to be positive or negative. And this company was like, oh,
(16:14):
this is just for entertainment purposes, but what was happening
is that like people were actually using them to like
show potential people like that they wanted to sleep with,
like yeah, I'm free, I'm STI free, but like they
didn't even get tested at all.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
And you could tell that it was a fake report
because at the bottom it would say in very very
tiny print like for entertainment purposes only.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
What is entertaining about this? Who is it entertaining?
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Definitely not my my yeah, not my kind of entertainment.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So it was interesting because the yeah, the the social
media post it was it was a sex care worker
who was on a dating app and she was trying
to decide if she wanted to hook up with someone
she had matched with, and she asked them if they
could get tested before they met, and he's like, oh no, no,
(17:15):
I'm not doing that, and she's like, okay, bye, and
then he's like, actually, wait a minute, and then he
sends her this report that looked legitimate, but she was like,
he gave this to me within less than a twenty
four hour turnaround, and you know it takes more than
twenty four hours to get tested, right, And so she
got suspicious and she started looking at it and it
(17:36):
turns out it was from like fakesti test dot com.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Oh my god, right, that should be that should be illegal,
that should not be allowed.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Well, if it so, this website I think doesn't do
this for HIV because there are state laws that you
actually can't You can't lie about diseases like HIV. But
I don't think you should be able to do that
for any sti's like Committee or Goneria or any of that.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
No, for entertainment purposes, entertainment, why would you do that
to be.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I think there a lot of people still hesitate to
get tested, even though STI testing is so available. It
might not be convenient, but you know, some people think, oh,
like it's not going to affect me, I'm not risky,
or maybe it's they don't have access to healthcare facilities,
or they might just feel straight up uncomfortable.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
I mean, it's not always a comfortable question that I've
I've had gone to my doctors like can I get
SDD testing, and it's it's always fine, But there's always
that moment of hesitation, like man, this is really personal,
and then you have to remember, yeah, you're at the
doctor's office, like, yeah, this is this is If there
was anyone to tell it, should be a doctor.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Oh absolutely. Like I think if someone ever asked me
to be tested, I'm like really happy that they're taking
the initiative and they're going going out of their way
to be safe. I think it's really unfair to label
people with STIs as you know, all of the unfair
(19:16):
labels like they're you know, promiscuous or you know, they're
slutty or all of those. I just don't I don't
think that's right at all, you know, I mean, STIs
aren't a moral failure. It happens like they're common. It
affects a large portion of the population, and what we
got to do is not judge people. We just got
to help them get treated and not spreaded.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
It's an infection just like any other infection, that's Yeah.
Young people are especially impacted. They feel uncomfortable talking to
healthcare providers about testing. They worry their parents will find
out they're having sex, you know, which is part of
the reason why fifteen to twenty four year olds make
up half of all reported infections in twenty twenty three.
(19:59):
Young adults to make up a large share of new infections.
But luckily, at home testing options can feel safer and
more appealing because you can actually have your privacy if
you feel like you're risking it by going to see
a healthcare provider.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Yeah, exactly. I mean I think you're naming it correctly.
Like it's the stigma sometimes that can prevent people from
getting tested, diagnosed, and treated, or like the fear of judgment,
and you know, people they could hide their status from
their partners, which you don't want to do because then
(20:33):
you're going to increase the risk of transmission. And we
don't want to contribute to the stigma, which then can
lead to all these other mental health issues. This is
a common health issue and we need to just like
avoid the shame based messaging.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I mean, these you know, infections have been around forever. Yeah,
and that's part of why this there is such a stigma,
is because it's this thing that has been hush hush
and for so many years and has had these stigmas
and people's assumptions based on if you have it, what
kind of person you are for so many years. So
it's time that we combat it.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And you know, like I think it's
a great thing to make at home testing as easy
as routine as doing a COVID test or a flu
test at home, or heck, doing a pregnancy test at home.
There's many public health reasons to push for at home
STI testing. A lot of public health officials are talking
(21:34):
about how like many staff are overwork, they can't handle
the increasing need for testing, and so putting the testing
back at home is not only going to kind of
make it easier on these overworked clinics, but also from
a diagnostic company standpoint, I mean, there is this unmet demand,
(21:56):
so there is sort of like a business opportunity here,
and you're removing the barriers to getting people the information
that they need.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
More to come on health stuff.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
So here's the thing. You know, by doing these at
home kits, basically this allows states to establish new programs
to improve health screening and prevention. Certain states like Alaska, Alabama,
North Carolina, Maryland, for instance, they've all started mailing free
(22:35):
std test kits to their residents.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
That's surprising who who is on the list and who
is not on the list, because it's definitely it's a resource,
and it will cost money to mail them out. But
you know, that's impressive that those states are doing that.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Yeah. Yeah, Now, a lot of these kits are not
currently covered under health insurance, So if you're not living
in one of those states where they're giving out free
at home test kits, you can use if you have
an HSA or an FSA option. You know, most of
these at home test kits they run a little pricey,
(23:14):
Like the average cost is about one hundred and fifty
dollars in the United States. There are some cheaper kits available,
but they're not FDA proved.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
I think this is one of those things if you're
fortunate enough to have the money for it is worth
doing and worth getting that FDA proofed kit.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Yes, yes, the other thing like let's say you live
at home, and for these test kits, you need to
have an address so that they could send the kit to.
That might also be like an area of concern because
you don't want to be intercepted, maybe by a parent.
And then also getting results for these like you probably
(23:55):
need access to an app or a smartphone or some
sort of device because they usually post the results online.
So it's not it's not perfect in every every scenario,
but I think it's certainly going to be helpful in
quite a few. And the other thing I would say
is like, let's say you do the at home test
(24:15):
kit and you don't have health insurance. Let's say you
pay like cash, and now you need to find a
doctor to prescribe you antibiotics for whatever positive result. There
are some websites like teledoc, for example, you can pay
them cash like ninety dollars and then just tell them
(24:39):
you did an at home test kit for whatever test
and you're positive, and then they can call in antibiotics
through that. So the overall cost, like if you pay
one hundred and fifty dollars for an at home test
kit and then teledoc another ninety dollars you're talking. You know, basically,
let's say a little bit around two hundred and fifty
(24:59):
do to do the whole thing, which if you live
out in the middle of nowhere and there's no clinics
around like that, you know, that's not terrible, but it's
not cheap either.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Let's talk about prevention. I think most people probably know
the best prevention is the use of condoms. Yes, yes,
whether latex or polyurethane. Use condoms for every sexual encounter.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Yes. Now, look, I have counseled so many people about
sexual help, Like I've heard all the stories, you know,
I've told people to use condoms, and I've seen their reactions.
If you're one of those people that you're going to
roll your eyes when when you hear us recommending condoms. This,
this next message is for you. Crown Condoms is the
(25:44):
number one condom used in the porn industry. It's very
very thin. This is probably one of the better condoms
to practice safe sex. This is actually really important because
many patients of the years have told me, like I
hate using condoms, and this is for you. Use the Crown.
It's called the Crown brand and it's the number one
(26:06):
condom used in the porn industry. It has a distinctive
pink tinge in color. And the feedback that I've gotten
over the years from patients is that like, oh, yeah,
this is great. So that is one plug for condoms.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
We're not getting sponsored by the way.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Of well, we are not getting sponsored by.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
We're not opposed again.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Yes, but condoms are really really effective in reducing transmission
risks for all three of these infections.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
So think of crowns. But there's more sexual health than condoms.
Regular screenings like we talked about for STIs, annually or
when you change partners really important because again, not all
sdis will show symptoms.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Yes, I think one of the most romantic things that
a person can do when they start a new partnership
is going to get STD tested together. It's really important
because communicating with your partner really reduces your risk because
you're ensuring that your partner isn't infected. And to be honest,
if you don't feel comfortable talking to your partner about STIs,
(27:16):
you probably aren't ready to have sex with them.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
So this is like a good kind of rite of
passage in a relationship that taking a moment to talk
about safe sex. That is also a sign that if
you have the courage to do that conversation, it probably
then means that you're also ready to have sex with them.
But if you can't have that conversation, that is in
(27:40):
and of itself a blocker to probably moving forward in
the relationship itself.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Now, if you do test positive for an STI, it's
important to finish your treatment, take the full course of medication,
and abstain from sex until both you and your partner
are fully treated and cleared. Infections can easily pass back
and forth.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
This is so critical. You must take the antibiotics for
the full treatment. And if you get specific instructions, like
sometimes you get put on antibiotics and you're told, like,
do not drink alcohol while you're on these antibiotics, follow
those instructions very carefully. There's a reason that those instructions exist.
(28:18):
Good hygiene is also really key, and you know, if
you're using sex toys and you do have an std
you've got to make sure you clean your sex toys
between each use.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Think about reinfection prevention. Anyone diagnosed with chlamydia, gunorrhea, or
trichaminiasis should be retested approximately three months after treatment to
check for reinfection, which is common. Yeah. Yeah, now that
reinfection comes because you didn't finish a treatment or how
does that reinfection?
Speaker 1 (28:47):
You could just have a severe case and it wasn't
properly cleared, okay, or maybe between now and getting retested,
you got reinfected because the partner wasn't successfully cleared. There
could be a multitude of reasons. So we hope the
reason we wanted to do this episode is because the
fd has approved these at home tests for chlamydia gonorrhea
(29:09):
and a great way to kind of get tested and
keep yourself safe.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Now, if you're unsure about a test KITS legitimacy, you
can use the CDCs Get Tested to to find a
nearby official testing center for reliable in person testing.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Yeah, and you know, obviously visiting a clinic is probably
the best choice, but you know, if you have access
issues or privacy concerns, these at home tests could be
a good option for you.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Now, I'm going to wrap up this podcast by telling
you to wrap it up. Yes, wrap it up, wrap
it up. Yes, condoms. This is it's crucial, and that's
part of adulthood and the responsibility of sex is looking
after yourself and others.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Yes, and you will. You will thank yourself for taking
the initiative and keeping yourself safer when it comes to sex.
Health Stuff is a production of iHeart Podcasts. The show
is hosted by Me, doctor Prianco Wally, and Harikonnebolu. Producers
(30:15):
are Rebecca Eisenberg, Jenna Cagel, Christina Loranger, Maya Howard, and
Katrina Norvel. Our researcher is Maria Tremarki and our intern
is Katya sobel Leayala. To send us a question, you
can email us a voice memo at health Stuff podcast
at gmail dot com. Thanks so much for listening.
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